Above The Shadows
by Katie Havok
Summary: Newt swallows thickly as his cheeks heat up. Divested of his layers and feeling hopelessly exposed, nervousness settles in. Tina is radiant in the low light, a sultry creature of angles and curves and feminine lace; he feels thick and clumsy and inexperienced by comparison, and his eyes prickle with emotion. [Fanfiction of fanfiction!]
1. Chapter 1

Warning: smut! This was originally published on Ao3 on April 22nd, 2017 and is being posted here for the sake of my own ego.

This piece was inspired by the magnificent and beautiful "Both of Us Above" by the generous and talented returntosaturn, which you can find on Ao3. If you haven't read it yet, I strongly suggest you do so, because it is absolutely wonderful!

(If you can't or won't read it, the basic premise is an AU where Tina and Queenie are performers at the Blind Pig, and Newt takes Jacob there one evening, where they are entranced by the sisters. A relationship between Newt and Tina ensues, and this chapter takes place right after he's returned from a trip abroad.)

I read the piece, and was instantly taken with how _forward_ and saucy Tina was, and as is so often the case with me, my muse ran with it. So I contacted the author with the proper amount of groveling before requesting permission to write something in her universe, and wonder of wonders, she agreed. The result is what you have before you. All thanks go to her for this, because this is her universe and her characters. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

 _Italicized blocks of texts are part of her original work._ Normal blocks of texts are my addition. I've added her snippets just to give you an idea of where my work falls in relation to hers.

* * *

 _"I have ten minutes," she mumbles, dark eyes glinting in the yellow light, challenging, and he accepts with his lips on hers._

* * *

Beneath the waxy coat of her lipstick, she still tastes like _Tina_.

Her hand unerringly leads his back to her thigh, to the inside of its smooth curve, and urges it upwards. Newt complies, helpless to do otherwise while sinking into her mouth with a heated sigh. Her hands find and grip the lapels of his greatcoat, hard enough to scorch holes in the fabric, almost, and they gasp together when his seeking fingers brush her heated center.

She leans forward to work her lips beneath his collar, warm tongue tasting his frantic pulse as he threads his fingers through her damp curls before grinding the heel of his hand against her. The sound Tina makes is almost pornographic. She looks at him through lust-heavy eyes before hiking up her skirt in clear invitation.

She is all pale, unblemished skin and frothy lace, glinting eyes and curved red lips, and he exhales shakily as he takes it all in. Feeling suddenly clumsy and somehow _too big_ for this space, Newt shrugs out of his coat and lets it fall gracelessly to the floor, foot tangling in the sleeve as he propels himself forward. He notches himself against her, easing between her creamy thighs as she purrs and hooks her leg around him to draw him in.

"Nine minutes," she breathes, low and damp in his ear, and his trembling hands return to her skin. He draws random shapes on her enchantingly fair chest, ghosting over the hinted-at swell of her breast before boldly slipping lower, molding his fingers to its curve. Her hand flies up to cover his, her back arching when she makes another delectable sound while urging him to touch her more firmly. Her nipple hardens against his palm, and he can hear the minute scratch of fabric over flesh.

Lower, he plies her with an inexpert but eager touch. He quickly builds up a rhythm, working the heel of his hand against her until her head falls back with a ragged sigh and her stomach quivers. No longer content to simply _watch_ , Newt leans forward to lather her throat and neck with small, scratchy kisses. His fingers press where she is hot and eager, slipping just inside to find her slick and ready before retreating. Tina whines in the back of her throat and trembles against him.

Her head rolls forward before her smoldering eyes meet his. "Seven minutes," she manages and twitches her hips into his hand. "Please, touch me," and it's a breathless moan. Newt catches her lips with a rough, clumsy sound before angling his wrist to slip two fingers inside. He circles her with his thumb and Tina keens, a tremor working through the entirety of her being when her hips sway forward.

Newt drags his mouth along the creamy skin of her neck and shoulder while she shudders against him. Her fingers clench at his waist when his hand works faster, only to slide up his chest to weave into his hair. "Kiss me," she breathes with a gentle tug. He does, breathlessly caressing her mouth with his as he works her into a frenzy, only for her to moan liquidly against his lips when his fingers _crook_ inside her.

"Yes, like _that_ ," she hisses urgently, body thrumming against his. Then: "Five minutes."

Newt presses his forehead into her shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut when her shapely hands slide to the front of his trousers. She makes a hungry sound as she fingers what she finds there, and his smooth, angled strokes stutter, just for a moment, before resuming their easy rhythm. She laughs throatily, but there's no derision in it, just breathless delight. He quirks his own small, disbelieving smile, hiding it in the line of her collarbone before nibbling the tantalizing skin stretched before him, his thumb working faster as she tenses.

Tina gasps his name, and he hums into her skin encouragingly when the muscles in her stomach and thighs begin to quiver. His left-hand abandons her breast with one last squeeze to dip below her waist, joining his right. He gently works a third finger into her, causing her to rock her head back on a heated moan, while his second thumb brushes her from above, both hands now dedicated to pleasuring her. She's panting raggedly when he stops watching her worshipfully to press his lips to her ear.

"Time?" he husks, and she moans musically before turning her head to initiate eye contact. He gulps at the heat in her dark gaze, his skin suddenly feeling prickly and too tight with arousal.

"Three minutes," Tina breathes and moistens her lips when they part with a gasp. He stares as the momentary flash of her tongue causes heat to curl around his spine. Her hands go to his waist, fisting the fabric there as she winds around him, shapely arms and legs tugging him close. "Newt, _Newt_ , I'm gonna—!"

" _Yes_ , Tina," he purrs, laying a trail of kisses over the pulse throbbing in her neck to her mouth while his fingers press harder, his thumb works faster. She cries out once, short and sharp, when the tension is released, her body trembling against his as he swallows her moans. He hums his approval when she quivers around his fingers before collapsing, loose and sated as she sags into the vanity.

"Two minutes," she murmurs dazedly, and Newt crooks a shaky smile when she tilts her head back to look at him. Her eyes are dark and hazy, almost feline with satiety, and something masculine and proud blooms in his chest. It's not a feeling he's had many occasions to experience, and he basks in it for a moment before really _seeing_ the smeared state of her lipstick, the damp tangles in her hair. He frowns while touching her flushed cheek.

Tina murmurs reassuringly while pressing into his fingers, reinforcing the impression of a content, lazy cat before craning her head to look at herself in the mirror. "Don't worry about it," she reassures him and leans in to nibble his bottom lip. "That's what magic is for."

Newt sighs and closes his eyes at the press of her teeth, and she kisses him teasingly before dragging her fingers down the front of his trousers. His eyes open wide, and she smirks in triumph as she squeezes what she finds there. "I can take care of this," she whispers and then bites her lip in a nervous gesture at stark odds with her rumpled state. "If you come home with me tonight, after the show. Will you?"

Nerves make his hands tremble, but joy pulls his mouth into a tremulous smile when he aligns their profiles. "Of course," he murmurs, and Tina dazzles him with her smile before using her wand to get the lipstick stains out of his collar.

* * *

 _Their act is a little different now. There are four songs, including one in which Tina leads and he sits contentedly with Jacob at a table laden with Gigglewater shots, simply bewitched by the gentle timbre of her voice. She's a little more confident, a little more gracious with the crowd, those tight and vigilant layers pulled away to reveal someone who is positively solid and strong in who she is, unafraid to let the crowd see._

 _They toast when the ladies meet them at the table, and bark their unique laughs after downing their shots in unison. Queenie giggles brightly, lazing against Jacob's shoulder while a cackle blasts from his belly. Newt decides it is pointless to be self-conscious of the way his teeth show when he laughs openly, and Tina, long practiced, gives a comfortable chuckle. When their eyes meet, he cannot remember a more romantic and captivating sight in all of nature than her smile._

* * *

Tina lives in a women-only apartment.

She sneaks him past the landlady with a practiced efficiency, eager hand never leaving his while preceding him up the stairs. Newt watches the saucy sway of her hips, the occasional peak of those _garters_ from beneath her scandalously short skirt, and the teasing looks she throws over her shoulder with avid fascination. His breath comes in short, hot bursts by the time they reach her landing.

The door is barely latched before she's crowding him against it, red, _red_ lips hot on his neck and throat as her fingers move erratically up and down his sides. He drops his case, his hands going to her shoulders to help her shrug out of her light spring jacket, and they shed their outer layers in a fumble of fingers and eager mouths.

"I'm sorry," she murmurs against his lips, her cool hands wondrously steady as she loosens his many buttons. "I know this isn't considered proper, and I know it's fast, but I missed you." She looks up at him, Stygian eyes fathomless in the dark of the room. "I couldn't stop thinking about you while you were gone."

Newt hums reassuringly, squeezing her upper arms before threading their fingers together. "How fortuitous, then," he murmurs, "that _I_ couldn't stop thinking about _you_." He manages a small, hopefully teasing smile. "Though, I'll admit that our encounter in your dressing room was...pleasantly _unexpected_ , for all that."

Tina stands on tiptoes to kiss him until they're both breathless. "Thank you for that," she sighs against his lips, and he closes his eyes before kissing an eager trail down her throat. "It was wonderful."

"No thanks are necessary," he whispers and runs his tongue out to taste her silky skin. Her head falls back with a blissful sigh as her hands rise to cradle his jaw. Nerves cause his stomach to clench painfully when his teeth gently scrape her collarbone before catching the thin strap of her dress. He meets her eyes, expression imploring.

"You can take it off," she murmurs and touches his bristly cheek reassuringly. "You don't have to ask. I'm telling you now that you can do whatever you want."

Newt's face heats with a blush, which he hides in her neck. "Anything?" he whispers hoarsely, and she nods while smoothing her hand over his hair.

"Yes," she breathes and catches his eye. Her fingers move to her shoulders to brush the wisps of fabric aside, before guiding his hand to her skin. "Take it off," she repeats firmly. Newt gulps but doesn't argue, his calloused palms rasping against her skin until the dress falls away with a whisper of beads and fabric.

Tina steps out of it with confidence, artfully draping it over the back of a chair before twining her arms around his shoulders. "Was that so awful?" she teases gently, and he makes a rough sound while kissing her jaw, choosing not to answer; instead, he drops his unsteady hands to her waist and squeezes her through her girdle, fingers kneading restlessly as he nuzzles his face into her neck. She turns her head and he captures her lips in a truly _hard_ kiss, her sharp inhale met with a hungry sound.

"Not awful," he manages when they part, and he captures her bottom lip between his teeth fleetingly. " _Wonderful_." She gasps against his mouth while running her fingers up his chest to his throat, where she toys with his bowtie before pressing her breasts against him. His breath hitches at the contact, and her lips quirk gently.

"Can I…?" she asks, and kisses his nose when he blinks confusedly for a moment before squeezing her.

"Of course," he responds, and breathes in the scent of her hair. "The same applies to me. About the—the asking, I mean. You don't have to ask." He swallows with an audible click. "You can do...whatever you'd like, Tina."

Tina hums and slides her fingers down the front of his shirt, punctuating each popped button with a kiss until she reaches his waist. He's not wearing a singlet beneath his shirt, and she makes an unmistakably pleased sound when she brushes her slender fingers over his skin.

" _Mercy_ , Newt," she breathes approvingly, and he fumbles at his cuffs before allowing her to push his shirt off his shoulders.

Newt swallows thickly as his cheeks heat up. Divested of his layers and feeling hopelessly exposed, nervousness settles in. Tina is radiant in the low light, a sultry creature of angles and curves and feminine lace; he feels thick and clumsy and inexperienced by comparison, and his eyes prickle with emotion.

Dark eyes take the measure of his face before she embraces him. "Whatever you're thinking right now, don't," she whispers tenderly. "You're _perfect_ , but we can stop if you're uncomfortable."

He makes a miserable sound and presses his face into her hair. He breathes in her feminine, almost visceral scent, squeezing his eyes shut in pained self-recrimination before fortifying his nerves.

"We don't have to stop," he mumbles into the heavy strands. "I just...I haven't had much _practical_ experience in these matters. I don't wish to disappoint."

Tina's hands slide up his chest to his shoulders, where she squeezes reassuringly before fingering the rough ridge of scars she finds there. "I promise...you won't be," she says with a smile. He flicks his hair off his brow and prepares to argue, but she stops him by tracing his mouth with her index finger. The sensation goes straight through him to coil in his groin, and Newt swallows his rejoinder with a gulp while breathing carefully through his nose.

Operating on something baser than instinct, he captures her finger gently between his lips, touching the pad with his tongue before kissing it. Tina's smile turns into something slow and sultry, eyes gleaming in the dark. She threads her hands through his hair when he releases her, fingernails gently scraping his scalp as she tugs him close. "We'll go slow," she promises, and he nods with a crooked smile before leaning in.

They kiss without demand, their lips sliding together teasingly. Tina uses it as a distraction to touch him, fingers soft and curious over scarred and freckled skin before pulling away to tilt his head back. He complies with a low, hungry sound, and she doesn't try to hide her smile as she maps his neck and throat.

"Will you let me take care of you?" she asks in a murmur, and he swallows before humming his agreement. Tina drags her fingers along the waistband of his trousers, rewarded when his abdominal muscles jump erratically beneath her fingers. She presses her lips to where his pulse jumps and flutters, pressing rhythmically with her tongue as she pops his button.

Newt makes a rough sound and rolls his head forward, his eyes wide as he watches her work. She runs her fingernail teasingly along the seam hiding his zipper before leaning in to nibble his collarbone while parting the fabric. He presses his face into her hair to exhale shakily, and Tina flashes a triumphant smile.

A nervous shiver works slowly through him, inspired by proximity and the cool air of the room. Her fingers go still when she kisses him sweetly, allowing his breathing to return to normal as he calms. His hands fumble her waist before settling on her hips, thumbs fanning nervously over the boning of her girdle as he breathes in slow pulls.

"I'm going to take these off now," she murmurs and kisses his collarbone before he can reply.

His trousers fall without fanfare, and Tina bites back an ill-timed giggle when his underwear flash white in the room. She steadies him when he steps out of the fabric to kick it aside, almost overbalancing in his nervous state before righting himself. His face flames anew and she kisses first one hot cheek, then the other, before brushing his lips.

Tina leans forward to kiss one of his scars, just over his heart, and he groans at the unexpectedly sensual contact. "This is good," she promises, and he nods as his chest works. Emboldened, Tina repeats the gesture, adding a bit of tongue to taste him, and his hands drag down her sides to stop just beneath her breasts. His fingers clench as he hesitates.

"You can touch me," she encourages, and her fingers dip into his underwear at the same time he covers her breasts. He touches her with the same hesitant enthusiasm of earlier, rubbing gently to tighten her nipples before exploring their pert curve. Tina sighs happily while arching into it, touching him in fleeting brushes until she earns a gasp.

She flattens her palms against his skin, her touch light, almost ethereal. Goosebumps sweep him when her fingers dance along his side until he grunts with a chuffing sound while jerking away. Tina freezes and looks into his face with a furrowed brow.

"Sorry," he manages around a nervous huff of laughter. "'m ticklish."

Tina flashes a teasing grin, slipping her hands deeper to brush the curve of his bottom before gently squeezing, kneading the muscle. Newt sighs at the contact and unsteadily leans his head against hers.

"That's nice," he murmurs and closes his eyes. "I like it when you...I like you touching me."

"That's good because I like touching you," she rejoins and kisses his flat nipple. He makes a low sound and she nips it before going on. "I know you said I could do anything, but it'd be easier to touch you without these." She pats his skin reassuringly. "Can I take them off?"

"Yes," he breathes and kisses the side of her neck. She shivers and he does it again, until goosebumps chase over her skin and heat curls low in his belly. He drags his mouth lower, gently scraping his teeth along her throat before dipping his tongue into the notch of her collarbone. Tina arches into the contact while breathing his name in broken bursts. He chuckles before leaning away.

"Weren't you doing something?" Newt reminds her in a slightly wavering voice, and she hums in agreement while her fingers go to the buttons fastening his underwear.

"You shouldn't tease," she admonishes gently while freeing him. "It may get you into trouble." Thus reprimanded, she doesn't give him a chance to respond, pushing his underwear past his hips until he has no choice but to step out of them. Which he does, a flush climbing over his chest and neck like wildfire to burn his face.

Tina keeps her eyes above his waist, touching him reassuringly while his hands thread into her hair. "Tina," he murmurs, voice suddenly thick and _vital_ in a way it wasn't before, and she accepts his kiss when he leans forward while slowly sliding a hand down his front.

Newt holds his breath when her fingers first brush, then wrap around him. Her eyes find him and her gaze is steady as she strokes him, before leaning forward to brush her lips against the edge of his jaw. "You have to breathe," she reminds him in a coy whisper, and he exhales explosively while his body trembles against her hand. His fingers tighten around her breasts unthinkingly before mumbling a hasty apology.

"You can do more than touch them if you'd like," she says with faux-innocence, eyes wide in her fair face, and he adjusts his hold on her to brush his thumb over her nipples before dipping lower.

"I could," he agrees, and now her eyes shine with good-humor in the low light. Newt kisses her sternum and collarbone and Tina inhales sharply, her delicate hand never faltering in its steady rhythm. His whole body _tightens_ in response until he covers her hands with his, unapologetic as he halts her movements. "No more of that, please," he implores in a strained voice and moistens his lips. "Otherwise, this will be over...quite soon."

"Okay," she agrees and brings her arms to his shoulders. He drops his chin to kiss her while splaying one hand over the small of her back, his nail meditatively rubbing the boning of her girdle before dropping to finger its edge. "We can take it off," she murmurs, and he trembles so violently for a moment that she squeezes him reassuringly. "Or not," she amends, and he nods jerkily.

"I don't know if I could handle you taking anything else off," he admits, and his hand slides through the notch of her waist to touch her belly. He rubs it while hesitantly meeting her eyes. She can read the question there, and she's smiling when he opens his mouth. "Tina, um...how far are we taking this tonight? What—what do you want, can you tell me?"

" _You_ ," she murmurs as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and he gulps. Allowing her smile to blossom into a grin, she ruffles his hair before kissing the tip of his nose, her other hand coming to rest on his side. "I want _you_. I thought you could tell." She glances pointedly at her mostly-undressed state and pebbly nipples before going on. "And I know you want me."

"I do," he gasps, and his attempted smile feels crooked on his face. "Oh, Tina, I _do_ ," and he's helpless to keep the simple honesty out of his voice—but it must be the right thing to say because she laces their fingers together with a radiant smile.

"Bed," she commands, and he allows her to lead him. Tina walks them to the edge of the mattress and pushes him down until he sits with his feet flat on the floor and she can climb into his lap. He exhales hard when she's settled over him, his arms naturally going around her waist as he tilts his head back in wonder to watch her.

"Tina," he murmurs in warm welcome, and she smiles down at him beatifically.

"Is this alright?" she asks, and he nods while kissing the shelf of her chin.

"This is perfect," he assures, and her fingers wrap around his wrist to guide his hand between her thighs. Her scent still clings to his skin and he swallows thickly as he brushes his fingers through her curls. She purrs and sways into him, her breasts a soft curve against his hard chest while her hair tickles his shoulders.

"Yes, like that," she murmurs and kisses his shoulder blade. His hand builds a rhythm much like the one he'd used earlier, and her thighs tense where they press against his. The part of her he brushes seems to _blossom_ , becoming slick and swollen and hot beneath his tentative touch. He slots one finger into her, then two, as his thumb circles the knot of nerves that makes her mewl. Tina reaches down to take him in hand, mirroring his movements between her thighs.

This goes on until a tell-tail quiver begins in his stomach. Dismayed, he nuzzles her cheek until she turns her head, allowing him to capture her lips in a bid to distract. Her stroking hand slows, and he sighs his relief before withdrawing his fingers from her. She makes a bereft sound before breaking their smoldering kiss to settle lower over him.

" _Tina_ ," he hisses when her molten core brushes him. Goosebumps ripple across his skin when she smirks coyly before taking his chin in her hand.

"Do you want to do this?" she asks breathlessly. He gulps and tightens his arms around her hips with a nod.

Tina exhales sharply and reaches down to guide him. "Say it," she whispers.

He drowns in her dark, languid eyes while cupping her cheek. "Tina." He leans in to kiss her shakily. "I want you."

Tina murmurs his name and drags her fingernails over his shoulders before squeezing, using them for leverage as she rolls her hips. Newt gasps and pulls her close, burying his face in her shoulder when vital, pulsing heat engulfs him. He watches her face until he chokes, electricity skittering across his nerves as she moves against him sensually.

"Tina," he husks out, and his hands tremble when he pushes her tousled hair back from her face to kiss her. The contact grounds them, and they share a groan as she finds and settles into a rhythm. His hands move restlessly over her sweat-shiny skin before cupping the curve of her bottom, his arms flexing as he encourages her to increase her pace.

She gasps his name and trembles deeply when her eyes flutter closed. He recognizes these signs from earlier, and his hand glides over her skin to settle between her thighs, brushing where he slides into her. Tina chokes and tenses at the contact, her easy rhythm faltering as she shudders closer to the edge. Eyes never leaving her face, Newt experimentally cants his hips up and into her. She groans encouragement, head falling back in wanton bliss.

He _needs_ to see and feel her released, but he cannot get the leverage he needs while touching her skin and pleasuring her at the same time. Newt frowns in frustrated annoyance before Tina solves the problem handily, squaring her stance to increase the cadence of her thrusts. Her mouth falls open on a shaky exhale and he leans in to nibble her plump bottom lip before drawing her into a smoldering kiss.

A slow pulse works through her, a precursor of greater, more primal pleasure. Newt slides his hand up her back to cradle her head as she cries out, his name tripping off her tongue. He threads his fingers through the heavy silk of her hair as they move together faster, her nails cutting into his skin when she begins to quiver. She drops her head with a heady moan as her whole body goes tense, and he caresses her skin with his lips when she spasms around him.

Newt watches her face adoringly, the pursuit of his own pleasure temporarily forgotten as her well-trained voice caresses his name. Her clenching and fluttering gradually subside until she sags against him with a low sound, her tired muscles skittering beneath his hand. He kisses her tenderly until she lifts her head and brushes his hair back from his brow.

"Was that...good?" he asks, making determined eye contact as his fingers curl nervously into her skin. Tina huffs a disbelieving laugh before rolling her hips suggestively. His eyelids flutter as the smile slips from his face, viscerally reminded that he's still in an unsatisfied state. Tina glances down at his hand pointedly while petting the nape of his neck.

"It was _very_ good," she murmurs against his lips, "but I can't keep going like this. Do you think you could…?" She kisses him sweetly before glancing over his shoulder, at the expanse of bed and tangled blankets behind them. Newt gulps and nods jerkily before helping her reposition her limbs.

"Hang on," he murmurs, and she wraps her slender legs around him when he stands. He turns and takes a knee on the mattress before lowering her onto it, somehow remaining slotted firmly inside her as they tangle together. She helps him figure out what to do with their limbs, until one of her legs is draped around his waist, his weight resting on his forearms as he hovers over her.

"So strong," Tina murmurs approvingly, and her hands stroke his arms and chest before pinching his nipple. He groans at that, a heady thrill working through him, and she ardently tugs his shoulders until he settles lower over her. Newt's hands slide around her back and neck as she twitches her hips into him, her gaze smoldering.

"It's your turn, now," she says plainly, and he drops his head with a groan. She squeezes him encouragingly when he begins to move, hesitantly at first but quickly finding a rhythm. He rolls his hips into her sharply, drinking in the sounds he wrings from her throat until one of his hands slides from her shoulder to the small of her back, lifting her off the mattress so he can get _inside_ easier.

Tina gasps into his skin, and her eyes are lusty when she touches his face before squeezing his shoulders. He slides his other arm beneath her, bringing them closer while he pushes into her, and the scrape of her nipples against his chest causes them both to moan. She presses hot, open-mouthed kisses into his neck and throat while he pants, the humid feel of her mouth causing his skin to prickle with warning heat.

Tina's head falls back as she works a hand between them, touching herself with calculated brushes. Newt growls when she tightens, his eyes frantically searching her face. She nods breathlessly at his imploring look, kiss-swollen lips curling in a promising smile, and a shudder twists his skin. A few moments later, Tina dissolves into musical moans as a now-familiar series of spasms ripples through her, and Newt's jaw unhinges as he chokes out her name and, in a flurry of snapping thrusts, tumbles after her.

Silence then, save for the harsh rasp of their breathing and the whisper of sheets as he kisses her tenderly. Tina sighs and pats his sweaty skin as he rests their foreheads together, her expression one of deep contentment. She blinks up at him and he smiles sweetly before rolling off of her, withdrawing from her body with a shiver to gather her close. She curls into his embrace, her eyes slipping closed as she lays her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he says once his breathing has regulated, and she makes a questioning sound. Newt cracks one eye to look at her, relieved to find that she's smiling. He touches her hair with a heavy hand. "That was...a rather short encounter, and I'm sorry." He swallows down lingering anxiety. "As I said: I haven't had much practice."

Tina leverages herself to her elbow to kiss him sweetly. "You're fine," she promises, and nibbles at his scarred and freckled chest. "It was wonderful, and something we both wanted. If anything, _I'm_ sorry we can't do more, but I'm exhausted." Her mouth opens in a sudden, jaw-cracking yawn, and they share a breath of laughter. "See?"

"I do," he murmurs warmly and draws the silk-edged blankets over them both. Tina closes her eyes with a heartfelt sigh. "I could go down into my case if you'd prefer," he whispers, eyelids already heavy with sleep, and Tina shakes her head.

"No. You're my pillow, and I don't want you to move." Another yawn. "Stay. Please."

He hums in agreement before closing his eyes, her breathing already slipping into the steady pattern of sleep, and stays.

* * *

 _He wakes with her the following morning, or rather wakes before her. The city is already awake and bustling, automobiles chugging and honking. But Tina, tuned to the rhythms and cadence of the sprawl, dozes until she wakes naturally. She stretches, and he blushes at the peek of her breast over the silk edge of blanket._

 _When she tucks her hands under her chin and gives a coy little smile, he stumbles back to her and he is sure that this will become a well-worn path he travels for many years to come._


	2. Chapter 2

_He wakes with her the following morning, or rather wakes before her. The city is already awake and bustling, automobiles chugging and honking. But Tina, tuned to the rhythms and cadence of the sprawl, dozes until she wakes naturally. She stretches, and he blushes at the peek of her breast over the silk edge of blanket._

 _When she tucks her hands under her chin and gives a coy little smile, he stumbles back to her and he is sure that this will become a well-worn path he travels for many years to come._

* * *

Newt is roused from a sound sleep by a blaring car horn, coming awake all at once and with no sense of disorientation. He is immediately aware of who he is and _where_ he is as he lifts his head to look out the window. Dawn is a dream on the horizon, and he stifles a content sigh as he lays his head back, before carefully turning to take in the other occupant of the bed.

Tina sleeps on, snoring very gently through parted lips and blissfully unaware of the surrounding world. The soft snores humanize her, in a way, and he doesn't bother trying to hide his smile. She's a lovely shadow of a woman in the low light of the room, slumbering angles and curves softened by the blanket, and he's careful not to wake her while he extracts himself from the bed and casts about for his clothes. His pulls on his underwear and trousers before deciding to simply gather the rest.

Newt is well-aware that he's mostly clueless when it comes to the particulars of the opposite sex, but he's certain that leaving her to wake up alone is not considered acceptable. However, the creatures need feeding and he _needs_ to wash up, so he places his case next to the bed, where she's guaranteed to see it. He leaves the lid open in clear invitation after a moment of internal debate before climbing down.

The creatures can smell the remnants of Tina on him, a few of them going so far as to sniff his crotch in obvious approval. He endures this with a minimum of blushing, not bothering to scold the guilty parties until he's finished with his morning rounds and can lock himself safely away in the relative privacy of the bathroom behind his shed. There, he shaves and baths and thinks his long thoughts, until he's dressed and presentable and his spirit is fortified enough to brave Tina and the outside world.

The sun has just lumbered over the horizon when he climbs back up, casting the small bedroom in golden light. She's still sleeping, though she's rolled onto her back and the blanket has slipped enough to reveal the graceful swoop of her shoulders. They're pearly against the darker sheets, her hair an ashy cloud around her lovely face, and Newt paces restlessly before settling against her vanity, his hands slung in his pockets as he _considers_ her.

The previous evening had been unexpected, though in no way unwelcome. She had pulled him back into her orbit, held him close, and given of herself freely. He knows that the timbre of her blissful sighs, the texture of her skin beneath his fingers will stick with him for the rest of his days, no matter where his life brings him. But here, in the pastel light of dawn, he has no way of knowing what his reception will be, and doubt steals into his heart before he can banish it.

He's so focused on his own inner turmoil that he almost misses her awakening. There's a long, slow inhale from the bed, followed by the graceful line of her body going tense. She sighs and relaxes, magnificent dark eyes blinking open to hone unerringly on him, and all his nervousness and self-doubt is forgotten in the magnificence of her regard.

Tina is _radiant_ in the milky light, even more so when she stretches languidly and the curve of her breast peeks out. Newt feels his face heat with a blush but can't tear his eyes away, watching dumbfoundedly as she lithely inspires blood into her limbs—and _his_ blood to redirect itself _southward_ —before rolling onto her stomach, tucking her chin in her hands, and smiling coyly.

He stumbles across the room to her, powerless to resist her sway.

She welcomes him with open arms, pressing her face against his shirt when he embraces her from above before climbing to her knees. She twines her arms around his shoulders to kiss him in greeting, before pressing her nose into his neck, inhaling the scent of his aftershave. "You've cleaned up," she murmurs approvingly in a sleep-husky voice, and Newt gulps as a slow, sensual tremor works through him.

"Yes," he manages, then, "I had to see to my creatures. They were none the worse for wear for missing their feeding last night, but I mustn't make a habit of it." She presses a meditative series of kisses to the shelf of his jaw, molding her naked curves to the worsted wool of his suit, and he squeezes his eyes shut around a small gasp.

Tina hums into his neck. "Did you sleep well?" Goosebumps prickle the skin beneath her lips, and his hands fall to span her waist while he musters enough coherence to answer.

"Yes," he finally husks out. Tina smiles with her eyes before circling the tip of his nose with her own. She pulls back enough to take his hand, climbing to stand beside him as his eyes drop of their own volition to take in every willowy inch of her. He swallows, throat suddenly tight, and Tina pops her hip saucily before crossing the room.

"Are you hungry?" she asks over her shoulder, and something predatory in his eyes or stance must give his thoughts away. She smiles, slow and speculative while reaching for a surprisingly modest nightgown. "Give me ten minutes to clean up," she murmurs, crossing the room to kiss him, speaking against his lips, "and then we'll see about...breakfast."

There's no mistaking her suggestive tone, and he only just manages to bite back an eager groan when her hands drift down his front. His arousal is obvious, and she teasingly slides her palm along the length of it before lifting her gaze to take him in. "Look like you need to be taken care of again," she murmurs in delight, and he catches her eye plaintively until she kisses him. "Be in bed waiting for me when I get back," Tina instructs, and she's across the room before he can think of a suitable reply.

Newt stares after her until she's gone, bemused and a little alarmed. Then, the worst of his anxieties having been appeased by her obvious enthusiasm, and his own long-ignored desires at the forefront of his mind, he fumbles for his bowtie.

* * *

Tina's back in less than ten minutes, and he can smell her soap when she reenters the room. She's brushed her hair and washed up, the lingering traces of last night's makeup swept from her features, and she's almost blindingly fresh-faced and _youthful_ when she sheds her nightgown and crosses the room. There's nothing juvenile about the way she climbs into bed, however, where he's already naked and waiting, and her greeting kiss is all grown-up heat and hunger.

"Newt," she sighs into his mouth, and he makes an interrogative sound when she catches his bottom lip between her teeth before drawing back. He moves to follow, and she breathes out a laugh before placing her hands over his mouth. "No," she says with a small smile, and he pouts until her hand drifts down to ghost over the definition of his chest and abdomen. Then he can't focus on anything save her touch, which inspires prickling heat and goosebumps in turns.

"So _strong_ ," Tina murmurs appreciatively, much as she had the night before, and his face heats in a blush when she wraps her fingers around his bicep. "Is this all from your creatures?" she asks, and it's an effort to wrench his mind away from her and the promise of her sex to answer.

"Mmhm," he hums. "I spend much of my time, when I'm not writing or revising, either in the field or caring for the creatures in my case. There's a lot of physical labor involved. I could use magic for some things, I suppose, but it feels...it feels as if I'm not giving them my all." He shrugs a little awkwardly. "I'm not explaining it very well, but…" Newt leans forward to kiss her bare shoulder in lieu of continuing, and Tina flashes a shy smile.

"I think I can understand _why_ ," she teases, and he hides his suddenly hot face against the side of her neck. Tina continues to map him with her hands, gentle fingers tracing over the ridges of his scars, connecting the constellation of freckles dotting his hide, and making small, hungry sounds with every swell of muscle she brushes. Newt shivers when she rakes her fingernails along his abdomen before, at last, allowing himself to touch her.

Tina sighs raggedly when his fingers cradle the curve of her breast, his thumb circling her nipple. She arches into the contact, her fingernails digging bloodless crescents into his skin until she smoothes her palms _lower_. It's his turn to make a broken sound when slender fingers wrap around his length to stroke teasingly, before abandoning it to pet his hip.

He makes a bereft sound with the loss of contact, and her smile is both challenging and cheeky when she meets his eyes. "You said last night that you had very little practical experience," she purrs while walking her fingers around his waist to pinch his behind. He grunts slightly at the brief flare of pain, and she grins before slinging her arms over his shoulder. "Tell me, Newt: how much _exactly_ is 'very little'?"

Newt kisses her tentatively before pressing their cheeks together, his hands stroking her back in long, slow swipes as he recalls his unsatisfactory past. His tone is somber when he finally answers, and she goes stiff in his arms before leaning back to look at him. "I was only with a woman once, before you," he mumbles, refusing to meet her eyes. "It was an unsatisfactory experience all around, one which I've done my best to forget, and you'll forgive me if I don't wish to elaborate."

"Okay," Tina says quietly while running her fingers through his hair in a soothing manner. "Okay, Newt, that's fine. That's just fine," she murmurs, and he nods and closes his eyes to pull himself back into the _present_. It takes a moment, but soon the echoes of the past recede and she's once again commanding his senses, her scent in his nose and her skin beneath his hands, and he exhales shakily before hugging her _tight, tight, tight_.

Tina endures the clinging embrace until his trembling passes. His kiss is all hunger and all for _her_ when he presses their mouths together, and it's her taste on his lips when he closes his eyes. She makes a delighted sound and meets him halfway, the rough velvet of her tongue twining around his own. They're both panting when he tips their foreheads together to take in her eyes. " _Tina_ ," he implores, unable to articulate anything beyond her name, and she nods while framing his face with her hands.

"It's okay," she whispers. "I can show you. I can _teach_ you. If you'll let me."

" _Yes_ ," he sighs, thinking that perhaps he's agreeing to more than just sex, and instantly decides he's okay with that.

Tina kisses him once more before draping herself artfully across the mattress. She beckons him with a crooked finger and he obeys without question or thought, kneeling between her thighs while she gets comfortable before pulling him close. He settles over her with a breathless wheeze, and she brushes his forehead with her mouth after pushing the spill of hair away from his eyes.

"You can touch me," she whispers with a nod, and he hesitates, bottom lip caught firmly between his teeth. She uses her thumb to pry it away, brushing his mouth before smiling gently. "I _want_ you to touch me like last night," she says into his eyes, "but I don't want you to go straight _there_. Touch me all over. I promise I'll tell you if I don't like it." She rolls her shoulders against the pillows in clear invitation. "Please, Newt."

It's the _please_ that breaks through his indecision and allows him to move. His shaky hands fall to her skin without conscious direction, tracing her shoulders before ghosting over the plane of her chest. He avoids the globe of her breasts in favor of charting the creamy, slightly rounded curve of her stomach, where she sighs blissfully and arches into the contact. Emboldened, eyes never leaving her face, Newt explores her hips and outer thigh before jumping the gap to press their palms together, lacing their fingers before dragging his calloused fingertips up her shapely arm.

Tina rolls her head to watch his every movement while he palms her collarbone and shoulders before fanning his fingers delicately over her jaw. He cups her face and leans in to kiss her, massaging her lips with his own before blazing a wet trail over her chin and neck. Tina's eyes smolder when they find him, and she doesn't look away as she breathes, "that's good," before swallowing audibly.

Newt tastes his way to the swell of her breast, hovering uncertainly until her voice firmly encourages him to claim it. He blinks slowly when he kisses up the gentle slope to the dusty peak, hesitating only a moment before drawing it between his lips. Tina gasps and sighs raggedly, her back bowing off the mattress as she _clings_ to his head, desperately keeping him in place when he sucks and licks before releasing her with a wet sound.

"Like that?" Newt asks, billywigs flitting nervously around his stomach. Tina laughs breathlessly while embracing his shoulders.

"Yes," she gasps, and he dips his head to take another pull at her before she recovers her breath. The experimental scrape of his teeth causes her to mewl and shiver. He loses himself in the pull and press of his mouth, the sounds he wrings from her before moving to the other side. Her nipples are red, swollen, and undeniably lavished when he pulls away to critique his work. Tina purrs happily as she strokes his head and the nape of his neck.

"That's good," she breathes and shows a wanton smile when he meets her eyes. "Would you be willing to take that...lower?"

Newt gasps and shudders at the heady suggestion, breathing roughly against her skin. Tina voices a husky laugh—until his fingers boldly drift below her waist to touch where she's already wet and willing. She mewls brokenly when he brushes through the nest of curls. He hums contentedly, and perhaps a little smugly, while he frigs her before wiggling down her body. He's careful to kiss every inch of skin he encounters along the way until he's prone between her thighs and she's staring down at him with something akin to wonder.

"Like this?" he asks uncertainty, and Tina chokes out a laugh while raking her fingers through his hair.

"Mercy Lewis, _yes_ ," she moans. Newt plants a wet kiss on her inner thigh, carefully averting his eyes from her core until, breathless, she pleads for him to _look_. Which he does, and something dark and _primal_ washes over him at the sight, curling around his heart and spine, banishing his lingering nerves and causing his tongue to feel suddenly too thick for his mouth.

Tina is small and fair down here, all snug, glistening folds and dark curls. Newt exhales shakily while, operating almost entirely on instinct, brushing his fingers over her to gauge her reaction. She mewls, thighs tensing beneath his hand before going slack, and he has to squeeze his eyes shut to contain his own responses. She breathlessly implores him to do it again so he does, feeling her hips twitch beneath his hand before using his thumbs to _gently_ pry her open.

He is reminded of a small, pink flower when he examines her, delicate outer petals snug around hidden inner folds, with her silky stigma nested atop. He superimposes his newly obtained visual knowledge with what his fingers learned last night, before flicking the pink bud curiously with the side of his thumb while watching her face. Her hands fist his hair as her legs quiver. " _Newt_ ," she bites out, and he smirks while using the tip of his finger to trace through her moisture before drawing teasing shapes on her inner thigh.

Tina hisses his name through clenched teeth until he nuzzles her while moving closer. She's already molten, and he inhales through his nose while dipping his chin, committing her musky, somehow visceral scent to memory before shifting to hold her open with one hand. The other fans soothingly over her hip while he waits for the thrum of her muscles to calm before opening his mouth and experimentally running his tongue over her.

She reacts as if galvanized, slim thighs tensing around his head while her hips _jerk_ and her kiss-swollen lips part to produce the most _sensual_ sound he's ever heard. There's no mistaking her ardor, and Newt huffs a relieved sigh while using his mouth to explore the intricacies of her folds, one corner of his mind absently cataloguing her flavor—salty, a little sweet, and with a bitter undertone that he recognizes as the lingering remnants of _himself_ —but mostly focused on her.

Tina keens and moans with each increasingly confident sweep of his tongue, until she's wound tight and shivering when he abandons her petals for the swollen plumule atop them. He treats it much like her nipples after a moment of consideration, plucking at it with his lips before circling it with his tongue. It's the work of only a few indirect brushes before she's writhing against his face, her heels digging into his back while she tugs at his roots. She cries out ringingly at the peak before shuddering into the mattress, and he flattens and lengthens his swipes to taste the evidence of her release until she calms.

" _Mercy_ ," Tina pants, and he can hear the smile in her voice. Newt wears its twin, the expression sitting awkwardly on his face but no less genuine, while he suckles purple marks on her thigh and hip. She affectionately ruffles his hair and pets the nape of his neck before squeezing his shoulder and pulling him close. Color rides high on her cheeks when he settles over her, dark eyes sparkling up at him when she kisses him without heed to the nectar coating his lips. If anything, she seems _intrigued_ by it, and she licks it away thoughtfully before touching the tip of his nose with her own.

"Yours probably tastes better," Tina purrs, and his face heats in a blush while he ducks his head.

"I think—that is, I'd really rather, um…" He shakes his head briskly in an attempt to clear it, and Tina smirks as he organizes his thoughts, a task made infinitely more difficult when she drags clever fingernails down his front to grasp where he is throbbing. Newt chokes when she strokes him before pressing his face into her neck. " _Mutual_ ," he manages raggedly. She hums agreement in the back of her throat before dragging her thumb through the pearly bead of moisture dressing his tip, a shudder twisting his back and shoulders as he pants into her skin.

Tina squeezes him and smirks before relinquishing his length. He breathes a stuttering sigh of relief before returning his attention to her. Newt leans over to support himself on one arm while tracing the outline of her curves, watching her face grow intent and serious as he brushes her edges. She makes an eager sound when he squeezes her breast and rasps his thumbs over her nipple, and moans happily when he drags his knuckles over her core before spreading his fingers across her hip.

He eventually rocks back onto his haunches to wrap calloused fingers around her ankle. She smiles when he extends her leg to drag his mouth over the curve of her calf before pressing his lips into the crease of her knee. Tina sets her ankle on his shoulder while arching a curious eyebrow, and Newt breathes carefully as he takes in the expanse of her beneath him before pulling her closer by the hips. He kisses her calf, then nibbles it while stroking her opposite thigh thoughtfully.

"Mutual," he repeats as he fingers her skin, and Tina makes an encouraging sound, twitching her hips in invitation. "Do you think..." he begins haltingly, and she nods when he trails off, catching her bottom lip between her teeth as her fingers curl into the sheets in anticipation.

"Anything you want," Tina promises, and her eyes are dark with lust when they find his. He nods in acceptance of this while leaning forward to kiss her neck and chest before latching onto a pert nipple. Tina wriggles down the mattress to better align their hips, wrapping one leg around his shanks while he hooks the other in the bend of his elbow. She guides him to her center with a slender hand, and they sigh together when he sinks home.

Newt carefully settles over her, Tina's welcoming arms pulling him in for a grounding kiss. He rests his weight on his free elbow while they tangle together, getting lost in each other's eyes until remaining still costs them both. Tina's mouth falls open when he withdraws _slowly_ only to push back in, quickly learning that the oblique angle of her hips allows him to sink _deeply_ into her. They pass a heated moan between them with the discovery of their rhythm, and she undulates sensuously beneath him as they rock together, her fingernails curling like claw against his skin in tacit encouragement.

Newt examines the details of her face when she voices a series of low moans, falling into her gaze when she smiles at him sweetly before lifting her chin for a kiss. He drinks from her giving mouth with a hungry groan until Tina angles her pelvis to better meet his thrusts, fisting the sheets when he releases her trapped leg to drag his hand over her breasts and stomach before rhythmically kneading her hip.

The hard points of her nipple stab his skin when she tenses, and he can feel the heated flush that climbs her chest and neck as he urges her closer to the edge. Newt groans his approval when her back bows off the mattress with a series of breathy pants before catching on a moan, and a volley of gentle pulses work through where they are connected. Her well-trained voice musically caresses the individual syllables of his name, and he watches her face adoringly as she scales the peak before slowly coming back down.

A warning tension curls around his belly and thighs, and he growls throatily while hiding his face in her neck. She's still squeezing around him when he quits his steady rhythm in favor of hunger, and sheer animal _lust_ takes him as he scrapes her skin with his teeth. He adds a circuitous grinding motion to the apex of his thrusts that causes her to gasp raggedly, before silencing her with a fervent kiss in hard contrast to the tender ones of earlier.

He tenses in her arms, simultaneously drawn in and pulled out as he strains toward completion. Tina says his name, and he chokes against her lips when his hips stutter desperately. "I've got you," she promises, catching his eye while tenderly pushing his hair off his sweaty brow. His eyes drift closed with a hitching gasp at the chaste brush of her hand, until the tension breaks and he surrenders to the inevitable. She is there to catch him when he falters, when he dissolves into moans and cannot articulate, before steadying him as he fumbles to a halt while sagging into her skin.

It takes a while for his forebrain and hindbrain to switch places, and longer still before he has the energy to lift his head. She's beaming at him when he finally manages it, pasting on a bleary, rather goofy smile as she cradles his head to kiss the scar adorning the bridge of his nose before sighing happily.

" _Some_ breakfast," she mumbles into his hair, and he wheezes out a breath of laughter against her cheek. His stomach chooses that moment to chime in, growling like a caged beast, and they laugh together as he rolls to flop bonelessly onto the sheets. Tina turns onto her side to face him, and Newt threads their fingers together while basking in her warm and sated expression.

"We should eat," he says after a time when the room has warmed and the pitch and yammer of the city are at full volume outside the window. Tina hums agreement while lazily tracing the contours of his chin and jaw with her finger, before sitting up to stretch lithely. His brain catalogs the sinuous flex of her muscles beneath her skin as he watches, his mouth going dry with simple _want_. She smirks knowingly at him over her shoulder and kisses the corner of his mouth before batting her eyelashes.

"I want a hot dog," Tina declares apropos of nothing and climbs out of bed with an unmistakable bounce. She pulls a spring-colored dress from her wardrobe before turning, her expression open and bright and all for him. "I'm going to get cleaned up," she declares, "and then we'll go eat. My treat." She grins. "Can you be ready in ten minutes?"

"I believe I can," he agrees, deciding to let the subtext of _my treat_ go for the nonce. She drops a saucy wink as she pulls on her robe before leaving the room. The door swings shut on silent hinges, and he watches after her in amazement before allowing a slow, _slow_ smile to pull at his cheeks.

"A _hot dog_ ," he breathes with an amused snort and, still grinning, rolls out of her bed to cast about for his clothes.


End file.
